US Mint January 2011 Coin Production: Fastest Pace Since July

US Mint circulating coin production shot higher in January 2011, eclipsing the levels from December and those from the same period of a year ago.

In fact, January was the fastest production pace for the US Mint since July, and it registered as the third best monthly total in the past 12 months.

The United States Mint produced 764.73 million coins for circulation in January 2011, which was three and a half times more than its output in January 2010. June and July were the only months last year with higher production rates, as the following table highlights:

January 2010-2011 Coin Production Monthly Figures

January 2011

764.73 M

December 2010

80.200 M

November 2010

531.46 M

October 2010

730.22 M

September 2010

690.02 M

August 2010

743.78 M

July 2010

772.08 M

June 2010

918.94 M

May 2010

657.22 M

April 2010

451.96 M

March 2010

384.42 M

February 2010

194.40 M

January 2010

218.41 M

Coins that are minted for circulation are struck at the US Mint facilities in Denver and Philadelphia. To start the year, the Denver Mint was more than twice as busy as the Philadelphia Mint. By the end of 2011, the production levels between facilities should tighten significantly.

All denominations were produced during the month, although the US Mint did not break down totals by design for the first 2011 Presidential Dollar and the debuting 2011 America the Beautiful Quarter. This is pretty much standard for a January, as the Mint has likely not finished striking the amount of coins it needs. In fact, the Mint did not even begin producing the inaugural 2010 America the Beautiful Quarter until March, and Federal Reserve Banks had enough Jefferson nickels on hand that 2010-dated strikes were not minted until April.

US Mint 2011 Coin Production

Denver

Philadelphia

Total

Lincoln Cents

263,200,000

134,800,000

398,000,000

Jefferson Nickels

77,280,000

15,840,000

93,120,000

Roosevelt Dimes

110,000,000

20,000,000

130,000,000

2011 Quarters

30,400,000

30,800,000

61,200,000

Kennedy Half Dollars

1,700,000

1,750,000

3,450,000

Native American $1s

4,620,000

1,680,000

6,300,000

Presidential Dollars

37,100,000

35,560,000

72,660,000

Total

524,300,000

240,430,000

764,730,000

At the current pace, more than 9 billion coins could be manufactured for circulation in 2011. The 2010 annual figure was nearly 6.4 billion. And in 2009, the slowest year in decades for US coinage, coin production came in at a mere 3.548 billion. In 2008 and before the recession strangled the need for change in everyday transactions, the US Mint had struck more than 10.1 billion coins.

I always hated that Moy insisted on the mintages being fairly even from both mints. I like when there’s a disparity like in the table above. If anything, it indicates actual coin demand for the half of the country each mint serves. I hope now that he is gone, that old policy ends and the trend possibly indicated in January’s production totals continues throughout the year.

I have yet 2 C any 2011 coins here on the left coast. With the copper being so expensive, I wonder how much the mint lost on the cents & nickels minted last month? When will they make the coins out of cheaper materials already? This is costing the taxpayers!!! Stop the madness, save what is left of the steel industry & make copper coated steel cents and steel nickels!!!